Wateb separator eos ais tahes



Apr. 17; 1923;

E. B. THATCHER WATER SEPARATOR FOR AIR TANKS Filed July 30. 1921 awe/whoa [7726119077 ,5. Hat/a5 er @513 WW A da/4 relates a y. rt, teas.

WATER EZEPARATOR FOB AIR TANKS.

Ap lication filed July 30,1821. Serial lilo. 488,746.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMERSON B. Tnixrormn, a'citizen of the United States oi America. residing; at Marine City, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VJater Separators for Air Tanks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to compressed air systems and has for its object a simple means of separating from the air the water condensate. To this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the storage tank of a compressed air system, showing my improvement applied thereto;

FigureQ is a similar view of a modified construction.

In the installation of compressed air systems great difliculty is'experienced by reason of the water condensate. Various forms of separators have heretofore been used in con 'nection with such systems, but these are complicated and expensive to install. It is the object of the present invention to avoid such complication and expense and to obtain an effective separation by simple means. As shown, A is the storage tank, B the inlet conduit from the compressor (not shown), and G the outlet conduit. In its simplest form my improvement consists in extending the inlet conduit B through the top of the tank A and downward therein to a point near to the bottom. The outlet conduit C enters the tank at a point near the top there of and is extended inward for a short dis tance as indicated at D. With this arrangement I have found that the air discharged through the conduit C is free from moisture and the condensate will collect in the bottom of the tank A. The reason for this, as I understand it, is that the water vapor originally in the air and which is condensed either by compression or cooling will collect on the walls of the portion of the conduit B which extends vertically downward in the tank and will drop oil from the lower end of said conduit into the bottom of the tank.

The ascending current of air moves so slowly on account of the greatly increased cross-sectional area of the tank that very little of the water is carried out. Condensation will also occur upon the inner walls of the tank, but the inwardly extending portion D of the outlet conduit C will break the continuity of surface and will prevent the condensate from being carried out with the air.

In the modified construction shown in Figure 2, the inlet conduit B enters at the bottom or lower portion of the tank and extends upward. A larger conduit E is placed to surround the conduit B and is suspended from the top of the tank by a fitting F, while its lower end is opened. This will increase the amount of condensing surface, but will otherwise act the same as shown in Figure 1.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with an air storage tank, of an inlet conduit therefor having a portion extending from the upper end or the tank vertically downward to near the bottom thereof and provided with another portion which extends within said first-mentioned portion vertically upward and is in open communication therewith at its upper end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- EMERSON B. THATCHER. 

